The Whisper Man's Orders
by Elizabeth.M.Kelli
Summary: This is a story about Marja, Aly's daughter. Marja is fast like a crow, spy trained like Aly, and she has no aspirations. But taken to Tortall for her safety, can she find out who she is? And why she's there?
1. prolouge

"Duani

"Duani?" Victorcine asked from the doorway into Aly's office. Aly was asleep at her desk…again.

"Yes?" Aly answered without lifting her head from her desk. She was tired. She hadn't been able to do much work for the last few months, and had placed Victorcine in charge since Aly was busy dealing with Marjorie.

Aly's daughter was proving to be as 'fun oriented' as Aly had been herself. The problem was that Marja didn't seem to want to follow, her Mother, her father, or any other trade they could think of. Marja was interesting, she could be a crow at will, or human, but she was usually human. She had the reflexes and abilities of her father, and she'd had the training of her mother. She also had the Gift and the Sight in great abundance. She was a simple conundrum. And because of this, both Aly and Nawat were both having to shirk duties, to a certain degree, to try and figure out their daughter. The twins weren't nearly as hard to figure out. Both wanted to fight and be knights like Aly's mother.

"We have some very disturbing news from the outer Isles," Victorcine said quietly.

"What is it?" Aly asked calmly sitting up and checking knives as a habit.

"We've lost contact with seven spies," Victorcine wasn't nearly as skittish as she'd been during the days of the Raka Rebellion.

"What?" Aly stopped what she was doing. The room was dim, but with the sight Aly could see that Victorcine looked scared, "What news did we get before we lost contact?"

When Victorcine said what it was, even Aly blanched.

Aly immediately sent out orders to all agents to watch for a man Aly had once trusted.

"Mama? Why must you bother me again today?" Marja asked as someone rapped on her door. It was a light tap, only noticeable to anyone who had trained as a spy, like Aly, or Marja herself.

"I'm not here to bother you this time. Instead I'm going to tell you to pack," Aly said opening the door and stepping inside. She made her routine of blocking any whole and cracks. Marja tapped the wall with her finger, and blue-black magical sparks flew from that point till the room was surrounded by them.

"Why must I?" Marja asked petulantly as she stood up to comply with her mother's orders.

"Because you're going to go and visit family," Aly said picking through the shrunk on one wall and pulling out all of Marja's dresses. It looked like Marja was visiting someone some ways away, and she was going to be gone for some time.

"Who? The only family I have is you, Papa, Thom, George, and Jonathan. Well except or Papa's old flock, but if I was visiting them I'd have no need of clothes, or packing," Marja asked as she pulled out breeches and shirts from a drawer.

"You're going to visit my side of the family,' Aly said sounding tense. Marja's mother never spoke of her family. Something about someone overhearing and rumors flying faster than crows.

"Where are they? On one of the outer isles right?" Marja stopped and turned around, "Right?"

"No, you're going to Tortall," Aly said acing her daughter.


	2. Chapter 1

"Why am I going there

"Why am I going there?" Marja asked shocked. Her mother mostly spoke of Tortall as a great nation which we might gain a little wisdom from. Not her former home. In fact Aly never spoke of anything in her life from before the Raka rebellion, and she didn't even peak about that much.

"Because you will dock at Pirate's Swoop and you will stay with your Grandmother, and your grandfather. And o course your Uncle Thom, and perhaps your Uncle Alan will be there as well," Aly said as she continued the work Marja had stopped.

"I have uncles? Since when? Why didn't you ever tell me! I would have loved to know! Hat else have you never told me Mother!" Aly flinched at the word 'Mother'. None of her children had ever called her that, she was Mama, or Mom, or when they were very young, she was Mommy, but never Mother.

"My godsmother is the Queen, my godsfather the King. My grandfather, who died two years ago, was the official spymaster of Tortall; my mother is the King's Champion, the lioness…" On Aly told her daughter. The only fact she didn't tell her was that her father was the infamous Whisper Man.

"So, I'm kinda important there?" Marja asked as her mother finished her tale, and Marja's packing.

"Yes, but only as a lady of some of the realm's oldest, bluest noble families, and of course as the lioness's granddaughter," Aly said shutting the trunk with a snap.

"When do I leave?" Marja asked excited.

Aly looked at the lock in the corner of Aly's room, "The ship sails in twenty minutes. You'll be going with the Tortallan diplomats."

"Who are they?"

"An old friend of my family's," Aly said hustling Marja out the door.

"Lady Aly!" It was a big burly man with graying hair who spoke as Aly led her daughter to the docks of Rajmuat.

"Lord Coram," Aly replied nodding her head graciously.

"So this is Lady Marjorie?" Lord Coram asked as Marja came up even with her mother.

"Yes. Thank you for agreeing to bring her with you to Tortall. It's time she met her family," Lord Coram had a strange look in his eyes as Marja rode her horse right up onto the boat's deck.

"She's just like Lady Alanna, bless her heart," Lord Coram said with a little awe in his voice.

"Yes, that's what worries me," Aly said quietly. Aly took one last look at her daughter's proud head of copper colored hair and turned her horse. Aly had a strange feeling that her eldest was never going to be the same after this voyage, Aly just hoped the changes were for the best.

Marja had been on this stupid ship for days. There was nothing to do. Lord Coram would speak to her, but the courtesy of it simply drove her crazy, so she instead took all her time sitting against the railings sketching the boat, and the landscape around it, or rather no-land-scape. Her mother would have made some comment about Marja becoming an artist, and Marja would have blown off the suggestion that she might do so with a flippant comment of some kind.

On the twelfth day of boring horizons and nothing to do, Aly heard a sound from the crow's nest above her. The cry was something along the lines of "Land Ho!" So Marja scrambled to her feet and ran to the rails. Marja had been reading a book her mother had given her when she was very young, and leaning against the masts. So when Marja got to the rails and looked out she saw a dark line across the horizon, as I the world had decided that there should no longer be a blurring of sea and sky there, but rather a definite line to separate them.

Marja strengthened her sight so she could see the shore more clearly. Now she could see a castle of some sort on the cliffs above the water. She was watching it so intently she didn't hear Lord Coram come up behind her.

"That's Pirate's Swoop," Lord Coram said calmly. Aly continued to watch the people on the ramparts on the keep. There was a tower of some kind against the cliffs as well. In it was a woman watching the water, next to her was a man. The woman had hair the color of dimmed copper, Marja assumed that was because of the gray hairs treaded randomly through those copper strands. Her eyes were a glowing violet, like Marja's own. The man next to her was a little less remarkable. He had graying brown hair, and green-hazel eyes, those were like her mother's. He had a rather large nose. Aly assumed they were her relatives, and had been watching the sea for the ship. Because Marja's mother would have had Ysul send a message ever the ocean to s mage somewhere. In fact I she had remembered correctly Aly had said that her mother was a mage, and so were a lot of her family. Her memory was proven correct when the woman lifted a mirror with roses painted on the back. It was surrounded by violet fire, and then the woman smiled and looked up at the man.

"Welcome Granddaughter," The man said pulling her into a hug. It was the man Aly had seen watching the sea several hours ago. Standing next to him, was a woman dressed in light violet, which showed of her flashing violet eyes. A strange amber stone hung from her neck.

"Hello grandfather," Marja said formally. She didn't know these people. No matter whom they were supposed to be. It was just as she was thinking this that she heard horses' hooves clomping against cobble stones.

"I saw in the fire that a girl who looked like Alanna was coming in on a boat from the Copper Isles which we can assume to be Aly's daughter," It was a man's voice who spoke. When Marja turned she saw a very tall man standing a few feet behind her. He was all sharp angles and long limbs. With him was a pretty woman with curly hair pulled back with a kerchief. She was smiling, and looked nice. On one of the other horses was a girl a year or two older than Marja. She looked a lot like her mother with curly brown hair. A boy with gangly limb sat on another horse.

"Numair! Diane! And of course you brought Sarra and Rickash with you," Alanna said happily, "this is Marja."

The man looked at Marja and his grin broadened, "It's a mini Alanna!" he was swiftly elbowed in the ribs by his wife. Marja's grandfather was laughing loudly. What strange people was the only thought that Marja could get through her head.


	3. Chapter 2

"Little Marja," This was her Uncle Thom

"Little Marja," This was her Uncle Thom. He was a mage, not nearly as good as Master Salmalin, but still worthy of the title. He was married, but he had no children. Which was a little funny, because every other person Marja's mother had mentioned, had children.

"Hello Uncle," Marja said seriously. She had found Pirate Swoop's library. She had also found the shelves of books on magic. So she had been locking herself up in the room for the last several days. She had done so more because she had wanted to get away from her very strange family she had never actually known, than because she wanted to know more about the gift. She had a connection with crows, which had been explained long ago, when she was still a young child learning the arts of a spy at her mother's knee, and the culture of crows on her father's. But her Gift, which she had learned came from her grandmother, had never been explained to her. These books worked would work quite well for that purpose.

"Marja, I'm going into Corus to work on a project at the university, would you like to come with me? You could meet your other uncle, he's at the palace right now," Marja's Uncle Thom made a great offer. But not because of her other uncle, she didn't really care that much about that. But rather because she would be able to get out of Pirate Swoop.

"I would love to Uncle," Marja agreed marking her place in the oversized book she had open in front of her.

"Great, we'll leave tomorrow morning. Oh but don't forget to bring a fancy dress. You'll have to be introduced at the palace, your mother is the King and Queen's godsdaughter," I was surprised at this and it must have showed because he swiftly laughed and left the room.

"Wow! This is even more beautiful than looking down on Rajmuat!" Marja cried out happily. She could see her Uncle out of the corner of her eye. He was smiling. Then Marja realized that she hadn't really smiled since she got here.

"Yes, it is a sight to see," Her uncle sounded muted, as if a little surprised, but also a little sad.

"What is it uncle?" Marja asked turning to her uncle, whose smile had disappeared.

"I'm just sad. My beautiful niece won't even have time to look at me for all the compliments she'll be paid by all the eligible young men in court!" her uncle was lying, but Marja let it slide.

"But we'll have to ride down this hill uncle. Because I we don't Grandmother will come out searching for us. She'll know soon enough if we don't show at the palace in time," Marja was joking, but her face was blank of emotion, she had spent far too much time with the embassaries from the Yamani Isles.

"Quite right," Her uncle said and tapped his horse's sides to start him down the hill. Marja followed easily. The queen had often insisted on Marja, her brothers and both her parents to go riding with her. It might have been a disgrace I she could not ride well. In fact Marja had decided this fact on her own, and become one of the better horse back riders at court. She had decided this fact when she was four, back when he had played with the seven year old daughter of the ambassador from the Yamani Isles. But they had left, and another ambassador had arrived when Marja was only nine.

At that point she had begun teaching her younger brothers the best ways to surprise their mother. It had taken months to get to the point when they could once out o every twenty times do so. But Marja could do so once out of every two. It was quite a feat; her brothers still could not match her skill.

"Lord Thom of Pirate Swoop, and Lady Marjorie of Rajmuat," That was the stuffy announcer person Marja had never been introduced as Lady Marjorie of Rajmuat; rather she was always introduced as Marja Crow. It was rather strange to hear the deference in the man's voice.

Marja was wearing a purple under dress with a shear copper colored overdress. She wore copper earrings with amethyst drops, and her necklace was copper colored beads with an amethyst drop after every third bead. Her shoes were light purple slippers with thread of copper stitches covering them in whirling patterns. But the best part of her outfit was the copper colored tresses which were threaded through with strands of her blue black magic, the color o crow's wings. A small drop of purple (which was a little magic she had borrowed from her uncle) hung on her forehead. She was the first to figure out how to imitate the way a darking could cling in your hair, as Lady Winnamine's did. Since then many of the ladies of court had searched out mages to do their hair for them, as well as all kinds of other things.

Marja heard the whispers at her hair, and her clothes as she crossed the open floor, but she didn't mind much. She had heard those same whispers when she had appeared to the first court function with her hair worn high with magic holding it in place. But now it did begin to worry her as she crossed the terribly great expanse of floor. Or were the whispers because she had been introduced as a visitor from Rajmuat? Marja had known since she was still in the cradle that Tortall had no great love for the Copper Isles, but were attempting to make amends with them, mostly because it was a new queen, and a new reign. Or at least that was what Marja had always thought, up until the point when she found out she had family in very high places, and it was perhaps a family favor as much as it was a political vying for power. But being a noble living in Rajmuat, she was well used to the vying dance of power, give a little, take a little.

As Marja came close to the dais where four thrones sat, the older male sitting higher than the other man stood and began walking towards her. When she reached him, he greeted her.

"Ah! So you have finally come home?" Marja blinked and tilted her head to the side. She also realized it was a very crow-like gesture, her father would be proud.

"But I've never been Tortall before," Marja said slowly.

"Yes, but you are the granddaughter of my King's Champion, and so Tortall shall always be home for you," He said looking and sounding very sure o himself.

"Oh, of course Your Majesty," She gave a very proper curtsy for someone who was very low in power in court to the person at top. She had given it to Queen Dovasary any number of times. Of course every time she told Marja it was unnecessary, she was the daughter of her great friend, and so she should not judge herself so poorly. But she knew how much power she had. King Jonathan seemed to believe the same of her. As his friend's granddaughter she should not judge herself so poorly, but she had even less power here than she did in Rajmuat, and so she would show to everyone.

Marja left from in front of he thrones and started off to the side of the large room. She would find a seat there and stay there for the night, until her uncle could show her back to the rooms she had been given in the palace.


	4. Chapter 3

"Lady Marjorie

"Lady Marjorie?" Marja looked up from her thoughts into a young man's face. He was cute enough, but Marja wasn't much interested in him.

"Yes?" I answered courteously.

"I believe by the aura off you that your hair was held in such a different style by magic, is there any chance you might explain how it was done for me?" He asked. He was obviously very interested in my magic. I would be the first admit it was not normal, I had an instinctual control over it, much as I had with my wings in crow form. Which I supposed that because of my father I had such a strange magic.

"I will sir in exchange for your name," It was a rather courteous way of reminding him he had not told me his name.

"Forgive me lady, my name is Mequin, I come from Carthak, although my mother was from the Copper Isles," he bowed low; nearly ridiculously low, especially because I had earlier expressed my belief that I had low status. In which case his low bow was a form of flattery. Equal to calling me pretty and giving my a title I was not deserving of.

"I did it by simply commanding my magic to do so," I answered truthfully.

"But how did you command it in such a way?" He insisted.

"I simply told my magic to go and stay in my hair like Lace stays in Lady Winnamine's hair," I told him clearly.

"but how did your magic do it?" He rephrased the question thinking I must answer differently to a different question.

"I don't know," I said simply, "My father is a crow, and so the magic on my mother's side was mixed with the crows on my father's, this is what caused my magic to be the color of my wings, rather than the color of magic on my mother's side. To gain the drop of purple on my forehead, I had to borrow magic from my uncle."

"A crow? Are you simply trying to get rid o me by telling the most outrageous lie you could think of?" She said angrily. It was nearly a scout, and so many people turned to look at us.

"Well I was attempting to get rid of you, but not in the way you think. I cannot believe you even half Kyprrin if you did not know that crows and the Raka were born of the same nest of Sky, and Dawn Crow. And so crows were always able to become human, and Raka always able to become crows," I said heatedly. Normally I would have kept emotion from my voice, but I did not feel like bothering.

"But that's impossible to do! You cannot sit shapes unless you are a very powerful mage!" He was really shouting now and I stood up. I elt he had too much advantage over me.

"Who are you to know?" Marja cried angrily. She saw her uncle coming towards her, but she reached down and touched the floor gently. A field of light formed around herself and Mequin, "does the fact that my hair has yet to all not show you at least a little of my power?"

"No it does not show your power! I don't know how much power it takes to hold you hair like that. Besides I could likely shatter your shield in seconds!" Mequin's face was beginning to flush, I though it funny.

"You may try," She said beginning to laugh. She knew she sounded crazy, but she didn't really care. And Mequin did, it not break under his attacks.

"Fine! It is a fine and strong shield, but how much power flows through your hair?" Mequin asked sounding impressed despite himself.

"More than half," Marja said quietly. She had pulled herself back, and was as calm and emotionless as a Yamani. Her uncle was on the other side of the shield she had formed. So she dropped it and walked right past her uncle. Who hurried to catch up with him. That man Mequin might be a good ally to have on her side someday. Marja thought in the way of all people who live in court. Yes he would be a very good ally.


	5. Chapter 4

"Marja

"Marja! Marja! What were you doing?" Her uncle asked in pants as he caught up with her.

"I was simply attempting to school him properly on the truth of the world. He simply reused to believe that my father was a crow. But if I must enter that throne room again, I will insist I be introduced by my proper name," Marja said floating down the hall calmly. She wanted to soar, to fly a little. But she could not do so in front o her uncle, she must wait until she could get to her rooms, to do so.

"What is your proper form of address then?" Her uncle asked kindly.

"Marjorie Crow. Or even better Marja Crow I have never been known as Lady anything, and it frustrates me. You take the title o your father or husband correct? Well I take the name of my father, because I have no mate. And that is as much a thing of convenience as anything. Crows have only a first name, and so my mother is known by her name, and her title, but I am known as my name, and my father's name," Marja explained as they wove through halls twining together in strange forms.

"But Crows? Must you bring that up here of all places? You proved it to us, when Diane felt you flying around the towers, but you need not bring it up here," her uncle asked in exasperation.

"Yes, I must," Then Marja shut the door and let go of the magic that held the fine copper hairs in place. The over dress was taken of and flung to the bed the shoes to a corner. The under dress was tossed on top of the over dress. All the petticoats and under things went right on top. Up until she stood naked in front of her window. She opened it and jumped out. But the time her body had passed into the window she was a crow with blue black feathers glistening in the pale moon light.

The sir rushed under the feathers as she soared between towers. She rose high in the air, then plummeted towards the ground, enjoying the feel of air on her wings. She was flying between buildings when she heard a crow flock. She felt like speaking to someone who was not human, and so she moved towards the sound. But when she got there, it was a not a flock, but rather it was Mistress Diane, and her two daughters. She landed on Mistress Diane's shoulder and cawed loudly in greeting.

"Hello Marja," Diane said lifting her hand so Marja might land there. she hopped over and sat on her hand carefully holding her claws so she would not pinch her skin.

"Ma, that's not Lady Marja," The boy said looking annoyed

"You're not listening are you?" The girl asked annoyed.

"Of course I am! Ma just said that Crow was Lady Marja! But it's not!" Rickash was very annoyed with his elder sister.

"Rickash, you need to listen to her. It is Marja. She came here so she might speak with people who do not have human preferences, because she heard us as crows, rather than as humans," Mistress Diane explained to her son. Marja made a sound of agreement. But she wanted to fly again, and cawed out as much. Mistress Diane nodded happily and braced her arm so Marja might take off. And she did so shooting back into the sky.

She flew at the moon, wishing she could reach it. Because certainly from the moon she would not have to deal with stupid human prejudices.

"Marja! Where did you go last night?" Marja was still mostly asleep, and the magic holding her hair was flickering fitfully. Today it was just holding it in a pattern of braids interwoven with strands of curled hair. But the flicking was still allowing tiny braids to fall out of place, only to be snatched back in a few moments.

"I was flying," Marja said yawning as she pulled a short dress on over her under clothes. She was speaking with her uncle by a speaking spell.

"Yu sound tired, you should get some sleep rather than fly around the castle walls at all hours!" her uncle Thom said heatedly. Marja didn't answered and instead pulled an open skirt over the dress.

"Marja? I know you don't like talking to me much, but I want you to come with me to the university, perhaps you can find someone to talk to there?" It was more of a statement than a question, but Thom had learned that his niece did nothing she didn't want to do.

"Okay, I guess," Marja said loosing another yawn. Then she pulled the tight corset piece on over the dress then came the over robe. The whole outfit was done in shifting patterns of blues, from royal blue to the blue black of crow feathers. Then came the tall well worn boots. They were blue black, which was as much a theme for Marja as you could get. But because the boots had been dyed, they had areas of lighter color, in pale faded out blues.

Putting on onyx ear-bobs and a matching necklace Marja laughed. All the layers had reminded her of her father. He always joked that she wore too many layers of clothes for a crow, but Marja liked the way the layers look, and left it the way she liked it.

Marja was very much a Kyprrin, and added rings and bracelets to both arms. She even had an arm cuff which rested on her upper right arm. Then the best part; the glitter. She dumped a punch o glitter over her, and added more to her clothes, shoes, face, arms, and hands. Now she glittered and sparkled like some otherworldly creature. Marja went ahead and renewed the speaking spell with her uncle.

"Uncle, I'm going to visit Uncle Alan first. I only saw him for that one moment before you herded me to the door, to be presented," Marja said clearly into the air.

"Of course, Marja. I'll see you when you come to the university, but please don't take off flying again?"

"Of course uncle,"


	6. Chapter 5

The walk from her quarters to the walls wasn't very long, but she happily drew all attention to herself

The walk from her quarters to the walls wasn't very long, but she happily drew all attention to herself. The men stared more than anything else, but stares weren't such a bad thing. In fact she let her hips sway a little, to attract more men's attention to herself. It was a favorite game of her mother's; Playing the innocent, while she plotted. The problem was, Marja had nothing to plot.

The grounds of the Palace were painfully plain in comparison with the beautiful Raka made palace of Rajmuat. There were gardens and ponds and every thing scattered all through the grounds, but the palace was a bit more functional than Rajmuat, or the recently finished Imperial Palace of Carthak. It had mews, and kennels, and stables, it had barracks for the Kings Own, the Queen's Riders, and for the regular army. It was rather large, but it was built to be functional, much more than it was built for beauty.

The walls were strong on most sides, but on one side there was no wall at all, but it was guarded by the forest instead. It was a strong fortress, all the more so because everyone knew that the King in Tortall had the Dominion Jewel, and he could wield it. Few people were stupid enough to attack this country these days. Not to mention attacking the Corus, or worse yet, attacking the palace itself. It would take an idiot to try.

When Marja reached the wall, she climbed quickly, making no sound in her soft boots. She crept around the walls unnoticed. So she came up and stood behind her uncle. She just stood there looking out on the capital while her uncle watched the city for any type of trouble. Then he turned around, and smiled at his niece. Marja stepped back quickly, surprised. No one had ever found her out, not when he didn't want to be.

"I have a sister," Is what he said smiling at the sparkling and glittering girl.

"Ah, then that explains iti will have to use the tricks of the crows on you, rather than the tricks of the spy," Marja said seriously. She had never found anyone who she could not sneak up on, so she made her uncle her project for the time she was here She would watch him, and learn all his habits. Then she would know how best to approach him.

"I will have to say that I your father taught them to you, and you're as good as he is, and you've had training from my twin, then you would be the perfect agent. Perhaps grandfather could give you something to do. I know that look you have in your eyes, Aly gives me the same one. It means she planning on trying to get me, and I'll admit I could only detect you, because you moved just like Aly," Marja's Uncle Alan explained.

"Uncle, might I eat dinner with you tonight? I would like to get to know you," Marja said adding a little emotion to her voice, instead of the dead calm she had learned from her childhood friend.

"Yes, you are most definitely plotting," Alan said slowly. Then he smiled, "of course you may join me, in fact I look forward to the game of give and pull we'll undoubtedly get going during it."

"Uncle?" Marja called at the door to her uncle's quarters. He was part o the army, so he had rooms rear the barracks.

No one replied to her tentative call. So she rapped on the door, just a little louder than she would to alert her mother of her presence outside her door. Her theory was that if he grew up with her mother, than he could hear a spy's knock just fine.

Marja could hear hurried footsteps to the door, and upon it's opening Marja blinked in surprise. Her uncle was wearing dress clothes. The kind you go to a court event in. Marja then narrowed her eyes

"Where are we going uncle?" Marja was still wearing her glittering clothing, although she had managed to leave a sparkling trail behind her all day.

"I'm sorry Marja! We have to go to a party for the Kaly's birthday. She's back in Tortall for this event, and we can't deprive her of her party, or any o her guests. When she heard that Aly's daughter was here she was surprised and asked if you would come to the party. That outfit is nice enough, at least as nice as the one you wore last night," her uncle explained hurriedly.

"I should have known," Marja pouted. She had known in was Empress Kalasin of Carthak's birthday. But she also knew her uncles referred to her as Kaly, although Marja knew she would never address her as such. She had grown up in the same palace as Queen Dovasary, with her as her godsmother, and yet she had always called her 'Majesty'. It just did not seem proper to address royalty by anything except for their title. Marja touched the snaking bit of magic in her hair and released it, her hair fell clean, strait and beautiful.

"I'll have to change clothes. These are simply not suitable to confront an empress," I turned away to my rooms, feeling her uncles worried eyes on her back the whole way.

"My proper title is simply Marjorie Crow," Marja whispered into the announcer's ear. He looked at her strangely, but announced her as 'Lady Marjorie Crow'; it was a start at least. Tonight she was wearing a short white under dress, with a long white over skirt; this one only had any skirt in the back. She had on a white half robe, which covered up to just below her waist. Her adornments were all pearls. And to change it up she used a thin sliver chain to style her hair, rather than the thick flows of power. She left a pearl drop to dangle on her forehead. The boots she wore had tall slender heels, but were of well worn white bleached leather. She had a belt of pearls around her waist, to help hold the slightly pleated over skirt in place. All her adornments were in silver, and she had washed away all the blue glitter, and replaced it with silver.

"You Imperial Highness," She said bowing with little gap between her head and the floor.

"That's highly unnecessary dear," Empress Kalasin said sounding distressed.

"Of course," she gave a low curtsy and moved away from Kalasin slowly with her head bowed. She knew she liked my behavior little more (of not less) than Queen Dovasary, but Marja was very big on being proper.

Marja sat on one of the benches once more, but this time she was joined by a girl about her own age. She had long black hair, and angled green eyes. Her cheekbones were well defined, but they weren't sharp.

"Hello, I'm Kendra," She said seriously.

"Hello, I'm known as Marja," Marja replied equally serious. The other girl wrinkled the corners of her eyes, and suddenly Marja knew she was dealing with a Yamani.

"I heard. Why do you bow so low? It isn't proper when those you bow to are nearly family to your own family," Kendra commented.

"It is improper for me not to state my own position in life by bowing lowly to those of higher status. In Rajmuat, I'm barely considered a noble, and that's only because Lady Dovasary refused to let her friend not be ennobled, when she was a high ranking noble in another country, and her kingdom's spymaster," Marja explained without emotion.

"Yes, but here you have a much larger status, you're one of the highest forms of nobility because your grandmother is the undefeated King's Champion," Kendra argued.

"But if you must give me the worth of the grandmother, then should the sins of the grandfather be passed to my brothers?" Marja reasoned.

"But your grandfather is also a noble," Kendra said clearly.

"Yes, but he was once a king," Marja said. Kendra looked confused, "My grandfather was once the king of the Rogue in Tortall, so should all his sins as the Rogue be used on my brother (both of whom are training as knights in Rajmuat) because you would have me use the merits o my grandmother?"

"But…That's not at all what I meant. I meant that your family was very high, because of her," Kendra sounded a little lost.

"Yes, but must I use the merits of those who came before me? Why should I not come up with merits of my own?" Marja asked.

"I think I get it now…So you also say that I should not depend on my mother's rank, or my father's, but I should instead earn my own rank?"

"Exactly, Now I must find a way to earn my rank," Marja said cheerfully.

"I think we will be great friends," Kendra said smiling.


	7. Chapter 6

"Marja

"Marja!" A voice called from behind her. Marja turned to see Kendra, Sarra, and Rickash running towards her. She thought it was funny that of all the people in court, the Prince and Princess's daughter should be one of the most fun, and loving people. And o course the least courteous.

"Hello," Marja said seriously.

"There's something bad going on," Rickash said sounding panicky.

"What? What's going on?" Marja's eyes went form one face to the next, all of them looked sad, worried, a just a little guilty.

"It's…We got news from outside the country, news from the Copper Isles," Sarra said haltingly.

"There's some sort of emergency there!" Rishak cried sounding on the verge of tears. Marja paled.

"We don't know what it is, only that your mom has gone out into the outer isles, and she hasn't come back, no one's heard from her at all," Kendra said seriously.

"Mama? She…what…what has she done? Where…where is she? Mama?" Marja said childishly, she sounded scared, and panicked, and to tell the truth she was.

"Marja? Marja?" Kendra said softly, then sharply when Marja didn't respond.

"Kendra? I…I have to go, I have to find her! What…what if something happened? Then it would be my fault, because I didn't go after her!" Marja was obviously distressed, because she turned to run off, but Sarra and Rickash caught her arms, and she fought them, as she had never bothered to fight anyone, with the strength, and agility of a crow, and with the well trained movements she learned from childhood. But the other three all piled on Marja, and kept her from running off.

"Marja! There's nothing you can do! The message also said that your father went off looking for her!" At that Marja calmed. When the other three pulled themselves off her they could see feathers scattered all around her on the ground. They were a shiny blue black; they were crow feathers. Marja lay on the ground, nearly senseless, she had black wings sprouting from her shoulder blades, although her arms were also still attached, which was strange, because wings normally went where arms go.

Kendra, Sarra, and Rickash carried Marja to her rooms, and very gently sent her in her bed But all three blocked the windows, and the door, then they all sat down on the floor, or Marja's chairs to wait until Marja came to.

_Marja was having a very strange dream. She was flying, but she wasn't a crow, she was a human. Her father was flying next to her, but he was a crow. He cawed out something, but suddenly Marja couldn't understand crow speak. Nawat pecked her ears, and said something again in crow speak. _

_Now they were in a tree. Marja was still in human form, but now Nawat was in human form as well._

"_Daughter, why didn't you answer me?" he asked softly._

"_I couldn't understand you father," Marja said softly._

"_But you are a crow, all crows can speak in crow," Nawat said sounding annoyed._

"_yes, but I couldn't," Marja sounded on the verge of tears, "What did you ask me father?"_

"_I asked you what you have done, you have wings, but you don't look a crow You look a Luarin, but for the crow's wings," Nawat said touching the tip of Marja's wing. A single feather fell downwards, and both Nawat and Marja watched it fall in silence._

"_Can I come and help your search or mother?" Marja asked finally._

"_No, the God has said that you have something to be done, right where you are. I will speak to you like this sometimes," Nawat said. Then he hugged his daughter and disappeared._

_Marja sat alone for a little while. Then she looked behind her, the wings were gone, she had a feeling her father had done this, but it worried her that she could not understand him._

"Ah! Marja you're awake!" Kendra cried happily as Marja opened her eyes.

"Yes and my wings are gone," Marja said sitting up stiffly. The other three had managed to give her quite a pounding, even if it was an accident.

"Yeah, they disappeared a few minutes ago, they were there one second, and the next they were gone!" Sarra cried happily, "Not at all like when Ma does it, or when I do! We have to shift our forms to do it, no simple disappearing acts."

"Poof!" went a little voice in the corner, all four looked over curiously. It was a little girl, maybe four or five year old. She had strait black hair, and bright gleaming blue eyes. Marja had seen her only once before, it was Kendra's little sister Liane. She had been the one to inherit her grandfather's Gift. But she had an odd habit of saying poof, and then things happen; small fires, things disappearing. Which is why when she said it, and they saw who had said it they all looked around nervously for anything wrong. All they could see was that all the glitter and feathers that had been strewn around the room were gone, while Marja wasn't happy that all her glitter was gone, she couldn't begrudge the little girl her fun.

"Yes very good 'poof'" Marja said calmly as she drew her power I and gathered all the glitter from one of her numerous bottles of glitter, then she covered, herself, and most of the rest of the room with it, she was very careful to get the cute little girl She just placed a little in her hair, and left it at that.

"Poof!" Liane cried again. The glitter that had landed on her and on her sister went away.

"Thank you, I think we should call you Poof, since that's all you ever say," Kendra said tweaking her little sister's nose.

"I think that's a great idea!" Sarra said excitedly.

"Okay then Poof, let's go get some dinner," Kendra said grabbing her little sister's hand. Poof looked a little confused then smiled and followed along with her older sister. As the two princesses walked the halls Poof happily chattered saying 'poof, poof, poof, poof,' The other three followed along noting what disappeared and putting out the small fires that burst up in their wake. Someone should really teach that kid how to control her Gift.

"Marja, I heard that your parents were off doing something again, what's my twin up to no?" Marja's Uncle Alan asked as they sa in Alan's rooms eating dinner.

"Who knows? This is my mother we're talking about. She most likely got wind of something in the outer isles, felt she couldn't pass it off to someone else, and went off on a mission. The problem is no one's heard from her, not even Victorcine," Marja said unhappily crow feathers drifting to the floor. All day she'd been trailing glitter and crow's feathers. Marja had found that she liked this uncle. He was very sweet, and looked a lot like her mother. But he also had all the training of a spy, although he was actually a knight.

"Who's Victorcine?" Alan asked picking up long noodles with the stick like utensils Marja had yet to figure out.

"Oh, she's mama's second in command, she deals with picking up information from spies in it's purest form, and discarding what Mama doesn't need," Marja said spearing a piece o shrimp on one of the sticks, Marja couldn't even remember the name of the things, not to mention use them.

"Really, then what does dear Aly do?" Alan asked twirling more noodles around the sticks.

"Mama says she wait until something happens, and passes out any information she thinks other people in the palace could use. Like Queen Dovasary. In fact she was the first to get information that something had happened, I know she did because Loki told me Mama was acting weird, and muttering to herself when he last saw her," Marja said abandoning her attempts at using the stupid sticks, and grabbing up the fork instead.

"oh so one of my little nephews is as much a spy as Aly herself," Alan said chuckling.

"No, Mama just doesn't think they have ears, so stupid. No, _I'm_ her spy."


	8. Chapter 7

"Hey, Marja are you going to eat that drumstick

"Hey, Marja are you going to eat that drumstick?" Rishak asked happily pointing to the piece of fowl in question.

"Yeah," Marja passed it onto Rishak's place. She was wrestling with a new code in her mind. She hadn't seen it before, and that was pretty rare to tell the truth. So Marja was concentrating on that. By this time in the meal she had taken three bites of the steak placed in front of her, and everything else had been passed to Rishak; as she discovered when she looked down to get a forkful of food.

"Where did all my food go?" Marja asked looking up. Rishak looked a bit like a cat with cream on it's whiskers, but the three girls were laughing.

"You gave it all to Rishak and of course…" Sarra said trailing off.

"Poof!" was added by little Poof, and a resulting fire came up on Marja's plate, she carelessly dumped the watered dinner wine over it and turned an intense glare on Rishak, who had fallen asleep, supposedly.

"well, then I guess I'll just have to go to the kitchens to fill my stomach," Marja said and stood up. Feathers and glitter fell in slowly, at Marja's movement. Rishak's eyes flew opened.

"Kitchen?' he said his entire face lighting up.

"Yes, I shall have to eat some bread, and cheese, but I may be able to beg a pastry from the head chef, I only wish he were Chenaol, she was ever so good with food, but I could speak to her about the quality of knives my mother allowed me, and beg some better ones from her," Marja said remembering long conversations with the former Raka Conspirators, Chenaol, and Fesgao, they were always kind to the daughter of 'Aly Bright-Eyes'.

"Oh, do you really miss it there?" Kendra asked compassionately.

"Yes, but its okay, I don't need that many jokes about being a nestling smarter than my parents, I got a lot of those Mostly from my mother's spies," Marja said cheering up. Then she turned away and walked through the nearly empty Great Hall to the kitchens.

"I wonder what's with the feathers?" Sarra asked as they watched Marja's retreating form.

"Maybe it's because of what happened that one time, with the wings you know?" Kendra suggested. Her younger sister added a solemn 'poof', it was Rishak's chair that disappeared this time, so he ended up sprawled across the floor.

"Sir? My cousin stole all of my food when I wasn't looking, might I have some bread perhaps?" Marja requested seriously of the head cook.

"Young Rishak? Yes I know all about him, of course I'll get you some sausage and cheese to go with it as well," The head chef said chuckling a little about what Rishak had done this time. Marja bowed her head and shoulders to thank him as he handed the food into her hands.

As Marja left the kitchens she found her grandfather waiting for her. He looked gray and ashen. In fact for the first time since Marja had seen her grandfather he actually looked old enough to have three grandchildren.

"What's Wrong?" Marja asked nervously forgetting abut the roll in one hand and the cheese in the other.

"I got some very disturbing news, It seems that our operatives in the Yamani Isles have all been compromised, and all our agents from the Copper Isles as well. All the Copper Isles Agents being compromised doesn't surprise me, your mother's very good at what she does, but on Yamani…And we don't even have someone we can send!" George looked quite worried, and he should be. On Yamani they didn't usually notice things like spies, not if they could behave as befits someone from the Yamani Isles.

"Send me," Marja said quietly, shocking her grandfather, and herself.

"What?"

"Send me; I can function with Yamanis as if I were one of them. And I'm as well versed in code as anyone, besides the fact that you can send me with an ambassadors' delegation. I heard that Lady Sir Keladry of Mindelan was being sent, along with a young girl she adopted to take care of," Marja explained seriously. Thinking about it, she was the only one who could be sent. She could be sent as a low ranking noble as part o a delegation, and keep an eye on what's going on with her talents as a knife fighter, code breaker, and lock pick. Besides the fact that she had the gift, and the skills and speed of a crow.

"But…I guess I can't use the excuse of you not being able to take it as a spy, I did that to your mother, and she went off and got captured by slavers!" George said throwing his hands up at the last.

"Yes grandfather, but if she had not, then I would not have been born. Because Mama would never have met my father, nor would I have had a Yamani girl for a playmate as a child. All that I am is defined by the fact that my mother was captured by slavers when she was sixteen, because she wanted to be a spy, and you and my great grandfather would not allow her," Marja said matter-of-factly. Even so George cringed at the impact of her words.

"Yes, I know…I don't suppose you can handle a knife?" George asked. But before he could tell her he was joking he had to block his granddaughter's lunge with her own knife. He shoved her forward but just as it looked like she was sheathing it he found the knife pressed to his throat; _that_ took some talent.

"Yes, Mama trained me in knife fighting, code-breaking, lock-picking, and any number of other useful skill from the time I could stand. My father also taught me how to properly care for bows, and crossbows, at the same time. I was also taught how to fletch my own arrows. I personally prefer the way a crow fletched arrow flies, but a griffin fletched arrows are also very useful, but I would feel naked without at least one stormwing fletched arrow at any one time. Besides, all my knives are made from stormwing feathers, they will kill a mages, no matter what enchantments are placed upon him, or her," Marja explained actually sheathing her knife.

"Well I suppose I will have to let you go won't I?" George said wiping off the tiny drop of blood which had welled at the base of his throat. Marja grinned.


	9. Chapter 8

"Hey, Marja are you going to eat that drumstick?" Rishak asked happily pointing to the piece of fowl in question.

"Yeah," Marja passed it onto Rishak's place. She was wrestling with a new code in her mind. She hadn't seen it before, and that was pretty rare to tell the truth. So Marja was concentrating on that. By this time in the meal she had taken three bites of the steak placed in front of her, and everything else had been passed to Rishak; as she discovered when she looked down to get a forkful of food.

"Where did all my food go?" Marja asked looking up. Rishak looked a bit like a cat with cream on it's whiskers, but the three girls were laughing.

"You gave it all to Rishak and of course…" Sarra said trailing off.

"Poof!" was added by little Poof, and a resulting fire came up on Marja's plate, she carelessly dumped the watered dinner wine over it and turned an intense glare on Rishak, who had fallen asleep, supposedly.

"well, then I guess I'll just have to go to the kitchens to fill my stomach," Marja said and stood up. Feathers and glitter fell in slowly, at Marja's movement. Rishak's eyes flew opened.

"Kitchen?' he said his entire face lighting up.

"Yes, I shall have to eat some bread, and cheese, but I may be able to beg a pastry from the head chef, I only wish he were Chenaol, she was ever so good with food, but I could speak to her about the quality of knives my mother allowed me, and beg some better ones from her," Marja said remembering long conversations with the former Raka Conspirators, Chenaol, and Fesgao, they were always kind to the daughter of 'Aly Bright-Eyes'.

"Oh, do you really miss it there?" Kendra asked compassionately.

"Yes, but its okay, I don't need that many jokes about being a nestling smarter than my parents, I got a lot of those Mostly from my mother's spies," Marja said cheering up. Then she turned away and walked through the nearly empty Great Hall to the kitchens.

"I wonder what's with the feathers?" Sarra asked as they watched Marja's retreating form.

"Maybe it's because of what happened that one time, with the wings you know?" Kendra suggested. Her younger sister added a solemn 'poof', it was Rishak's chair that disappeared this time, so he ended up sprawled across the floor.

"Sir? My cousin stole all of my food when I wasn't looking, might I have some bread perhaps?" Marja requested seriously of the head cook.

"Young Rishak? Yes I know all about him, of course I'll get you some sausage and cheese to go with it as well," The head chef said chuckling a little about what Rishak had done this time. Marja bowed her head and shoulders to thank him as he handed the food into her hands.

As Marja left the kitchens she found her grandfather waiting for her. He looked gray and ashen. In fact for the first time since Marja had seen her grandfather he actually looked old enough to have three grandchildren.

"What's Wrong?" Marja asked nervously forgetting abut the roll in one hand and the cheese in the other.

"I got some very disturbing news, It seems that our operatives in the Yamani Isles have all been compromised, and all our agents from the Copper Isles as well. All the Copper Isles Agents being compromised doesn't surprise me, your mother's very good at what she does, but on Yamani…And we don't even have someone we can send!" George looked quite worried, and he should be. On Yamani they didn't usually notice things like spies, not if they could behave as befits someone from the Yamani Isles.

"Send me," Marja said quietly, shocking her grandfather, and herself.

"What?"

"Send me; I can function with Yamanis as if I were one of them. And I'm as well versed in code as anyone, besides the fact that you can send me with an ambassadors' delegation. I heard that Lady Sir Keladry of Mindelan was being sent, along with a young girl she adopted to take care of," Marja explained seriously. Thinking about it, she was the only one who could be sent. She could be sent as a low ranking noble as part o a delegation, and keep an eye on what's going on with her talents as a knife fighter, code breaker, and lock pick. Besides the fact that she had the gift, and the skills and speed of a crow.

"But…I guess I can't use the excuse of you not being able to take it as a spy, I did that to your mother, and she went off and got captured by slavers!" George said throwing his hands up at the last.

"Yes grandfather, but if she had not, then I would not have been born. Because Mama would never have met my father, nor would I have had a Yamani girl for a playmate as a child. All that I am is defined by the fact that my mother was captured by slavers when she was sixteen, because she wanted to be a spy, and you and my great grandfather would not allow her," Marja said matter-of-factly. Even so George cringed at the impact of her words.

"Yes, I know…I don't suppose you can handle a knife?" George asked. But before he could tell her he was joking he had to block his granddaughter's lunge with her own knife. He shoved her forward but just as it looked like she was sheathing it he found the knife pressed to his throat; _that_ took some talent.

"Yes, Mama trained me in knife fighting, code-breaking, lock-picking, and any number of other useful skill from the time I could stand. My father also taught me how to properly care for bows, and crossbows, at the same time. I was also taught how to fletch my own arrows. I personally prefer the way a crow fletched arrow flies, but a griffin fletched arrows are also very useful, but I would feel naked without at least one stormwing fletched arrow at any one time. Besides, all my knives are made from stormwing feathers, they will kill a mages, no matter what enchantments are placed upon him, or her," Marja explained actually sheathing her knife.

"Well I suppose I will have to let you go won't I?" George said wiping off the tiny drop of blood which had welled at the base of his throat. Marja grinned.


	10. Chapter 9

Lady Knight Keladry was very tall

Lady Knight Keladry was very tall. She had her hair cropped short, much like a man's, and she dressed in a shirt and breeches, like a man. She carried herself comfortable, with her long bladed staff resting in her hand. Lady Keladry was mildly pretty. But Sir Keladry was strong and steadfast, Marja would be happy to have her at her back in a fight.

The younger woman was a bit strange. She was small and petite, and she was very sure of herself, she walked as if she knew exactly what would happen, and when. Marja had heard of her. Her name was Irnai, but lady Keladry seemed to always address her as Irry, which seemed a strange name to Marja's ears. Irnai usually dressed in dresses, often a little torn, and she carried with her a small stuffed rabbit, at all times.

An old dog followed the two women everywhere. he seemed very old indeed. In fact her was old enough, and beat up enough that Marja had to wonder how he still lived, but Lady Keladry treated him as if her were human. The strangest part of these two women, were the sparrows. A small flock of sparrows followed Lady Keladry everywhere. The tiny birds rested on the flanks of a pretty mare, and a strong war horse. Marja assumed that the gelding was not the fabled Peachblossom. Because that horse must be long dead by this time, If he was old when Marja's mother was still only ten or so.

"Ah! It almost feels as if I were going home," Lady Keladry remarked as leaned against the rails watching distant shore grow larger.

"Protector of the Small, It cannot be home, that is New Hope of course," Irnai said looking at the woman who had taken care of her since she was young.

"Yes, New Hope is home Irry, but I still care or the Isles, it is where I grew up after all," Lady Keladry explained looking over at Irnai.

"What do you think of this trip?" Lady Keladry asked Marja, turning around to look at the girl, who was sketching the two women leaning on the rails in companionship, watching the shore of a new place come ever closer.

"I am content to no longer sit under my grandparent's roof. It makes me feel strange. My mother never mentioned I had family other than my father's, not until she suddenly decided that my lack of ambition was just too much, and sent me to my grandmother, who had dealt with much the same from my mother," Marja said still leaning over her sketch board.

"Yes, When talking to Neal he often mentioned her knight mistress's daughter he said she was pretty, and smart, and had wits like a whip, but she never used them or anything but flirting," Kel mentioned turning back to the sea, or rather the view of the Yamani Capital.

"My Mother? Not ambitious? I thought it crazy when my mother first told me, a little of her past. I could not imagine my mother, who never did anything but work, not wanting to do anything!" Marja said adding a last scratch of charcoal against the paper. It made a good bit of noise, so Lady Keladry turned to look.

"That's very good," Kel said moving closer to take a better look at it.

"The ones I do in ink last longer, unless I use my Gift to keep it in place, which I rarely do, it's not really worth that much trouble," Marja said unclipping the piece of paper, "Do you want it Lady Keladry?"

"Yes, it's very pretty. But would you call me Kel? It's bad enough having to listen to Irry call my 'Protector of the Small'. A name I don't deserve by the way Irry!" Kel said shouting over her shoulder, "Or watch Shinko's Daughter, or Neal's! They are both very active, and I think they are both about your age. Have you met Marlisa?"

"No, I don't believe I have. But Kendra and I are great friends," Marja said calmly.

"Are you sure you haven't lived on Yamani before? You look just like a Yamani who has lived there all their lives," Kel said shaking her head.

"No, I haven't. I grew up playing with a young girl who was Yamani, her father-or maybe it was her mother?- But anyway one of her parents was an ambassador to the copper Isles. In fact she said once that she lived in the capital of Yamani sometimes, mostly because I was usually in Rajmuat, the capital of the Copper Isles," Marja explained as the captain called out orders, "I should change, look we've come into the docks," Marja said standing up.

"Of course," Kel said politely.

Marja went down to the room she stayed in or the voyage. She quickly opened the trunk, and pulled out one of her signature multi-layered dresses. This one was a light periwinkle, and purple-y blue combination. She decked herself with copper rings, bracelets, and necklaces, and added an anklet and an arm band for good measure. There were also amethysts and sapphires on her jewelry, except for the strange layering; she could have been a Copper Isles Luarin (which she supposed she was, in a way). As she made her way back to the deck she loosed her Gift into her hair. She hadn't finished moving locks into their proper places until she was standing at the rail next to Irnai.

"You must do that in your own rooms in the palace, or else the one you hope to see will lose interest in you, and run away So you should be very careful," Irnai said without looking over at the copper and purple bedecked girl. Marja bowed her head in acquiescence, and left it at that.

"Be welcome to our home," The girl who had been sent to welcome them was about Marja's age. And very pretty. She had black hair, and slightly slanted green eyes. Those eyes were set in a slightly round face, along with a cute small nose, and a mouth that seemed to be perfect for smiles. Except as a Yamani, a smile would never truly grace that face.

"We are honored for such a reception, from one who is close to family," Lady Kel said bowing lightly to the younger woman. The girl bowed in return.

"Ah, perhaps Marja remembers me not?" The woman asked without emotion. Then that strange feeling she had suddenly burst out in the emotionless, "Leeza."


	11. Chapter 10

"Yes, I am very glad that you remembered me, I feared I had been forgotten," Leeza said emotionlessly

"Yes, I am very glad that you remembered me, I feared I had been forgotten," Leeza said emotionlessly. It was hard to believe that this girl had once been Marja's favorite playmate, but Leeza had always been a year or so older than her. And she had been very kind to Marja, even becoming the small serious Marja's best friend. Well to tell it truthfully, Leeza was Marja's only friend.

"Of course not Leeza, You were my only friend in childhood. I was not able to make new ones after you left us," Marja said quietly, it stung a little, until Marja had met Kendra, Rishak, Sarra, and Poof, she had not had any friends except for the half remembered playmate, from when she was little.

"This saddens me, I might have asked my parents more forcefully to stay, If I knew you would be left alone. I think at the time I left your brothers were only five?" Leeza phrased it as a question, even though she knew full well that Marja would correct her and tell her they had only turned four at the time.

"No, they were but four when you left us for your Isles," Marja said quietly.

"Oh, This whole exchange means that Marja and Marlisa have met in the past right?" Kel asked as emotionless as Marja or Leeza. As the two girls turned to look at the older women Irnai suddenly laughed, and Marja and Leeza both startled at the sound.

"Ah but Marlisa is not the one who watches from that shadows, of him you must be wary," Irnai said in her slow prophetic voice.

"What now Irry? I thought I had warned you many years ago that telling people of their futures was not the best idea I mean how would Neal have taken it if you had told him ahead of time that his daughter would wish to win her shield much like myself, or the lioness?" Kel asked irritably. Leeza looked absolutely shocked to hear this usually well composed and emotionless person berate someone.

"But If I didn't warn her, then she would let her guard down, and all would be lost!" Irnai cried angrily.

"Did you ask to come just so you could warn her?" Kel asked

"Of course, why else would I go to a place where I was expected to act as a normal person if not to tip the balances?" Irnai was irritable.

"At least you know yourself that well!" Kel was absolutely exasperated, "Are you going to force a stupid name on her like you did on me?"

"Of course not! She already knows and uses the name she shall be known by,"

"But you are going to give her a war name!?"

"Well of course when you save your home you deserve it,"

"But I didn't save my home,"

"Yes you did, if not the war would have lasted much longer,"

"But It would have ended,"

"At great cost to Tortall,"

"Can I strangle you?"

"No, 'm not supposed to die or another forty years,"

"Really? So how much havoc would it cause to kill you?"

"A great bit, I have three other heroes to start off after Marja,"

"Three!?"

"Well of course, they can't all have gods to proclaim their deeds!"

"That might be easier on most of us though,"

"Yes, but then the stress is on the gods, and a lot of havoc could be caused without a wandering prophet, in fact I'm a little worried I've stayed at New Hope too long,"

"Too long? But you haven't been there all that long have you?"

"I was ten when you defeated the Gallan, I'm now twenty eight, you do the math,"

"Yes but you did disappear sometimes during those years,"

"But if I hadn't stayed then you would have already married, and he was a very nice man too,"

"Excuse me but might you finish this conversation elsewhere?" Leeza and Marja actually spoke in unison. Which shook the two combatants out of their argument.

"Right…I apologize for our distressing behavior," Kel said and bowed low with her hands on her thighs.

"All is forgiven," Then Kel and Irnai started the trek to the palace.

"What do you think that was all about?" Marja asked in a bit o wonder.

"I honestly have no idea," Leeza said shaking her head as they followed the older women up the slope to the palace.

"Can you use a glaive?" Leeza asked Marja a few days later. Marja had borrowed a kimono from her friend, who was roughly the same size. But she was having several made for herself.

"Only the little your mother taught me when we were little," Marja answered as the two girls sat in the gardens of the palace.

"Oh, that little? Truly? But I think that Lady Kel would gladly teach you, or even better one of the palace arms mistresses," Leeza suggested.

"Yes, I suppose, But I would really prefer to just use mu knives," Marja said pulling one from the sheath at her waist.

"Is that a feather?" Leeza asked looking at it with interest.

"A well cleaned stormwing feather," Marja answered, "They don't need to be sharpened, and they are razor sharp. I don't suggest touching anything but the hilt. I have managed to cut myself once, and it hurt worse than any other cut I've ever received."

"Well then I will avoid touching your knives," Leeza said inching over a step.

"No Leeza, I don't carry only Stormwing knives, I also have normal knives, but they are in….stranger places than the stormwing knives, but I never throw a stormwing knife, even though all of them have a griffin's feather, so they will move strait through any illusion, and carrying them with me will let me see any illusion anyone can come up with, and it is difficult to lie to me while I wear so many griffin feathers about me. And the fact that it is a stormwing feather means that it can kill a mage through any enchantments," Marja explained to her dear friend.

"I see their use, but I would prefer to have a glaive or a fan or best yet, a sword," Marja was a little surprised when the sword was mentioned but Leeza quickly explained, "When we left it was partly because I wished to train as a Tortallan knight."

"But you're Yamani,"

"Only half. My mother was Yamani, but my father is Sir Nealan of Queenscove,"

"Lady Kel's friend?"

"Yes, that is how I know her,"

"I see, now that makes sense," Marja said quietly, "I just wish I could understand that argument between Mistress Irnai, and Lady Kel."

"I we could understand all they argued about, I think we might be the wisest people in the world. More you than me, I have little life experience, but I think if you could understand Irnai, or Lady Kel, or both you would be very wise," Leeza didn't seem to notice that she was repeating herself.


	12. Chapter 11

Marja was doing target practice with her knives. The target was simple, it was a quintain dummy. Marja had made sure she had one that looked a bit like the right size for a man of about twenty, with a lot of physical activity. Marja had painted black spots on the throat, heart, arm pits, groin, and several other vulnerable areas. Marja was quickly tossing her knives into the air and forward, so they could hit the target casually.

"You're very good at that," remarked a voice from behind her. Marja pulled the stormwing knife from her sash and turned, all in less than a second.

The speaker was a young man, maybe two or three years older than Marja herself. He had something of the crows about him, with hair the color of crow's wings, and eyes not much lighter. He wore an orange griffin's feather in his hair, so Marja knew that what he said would be true. And like the Crows his skin was almost raka brown, but just a little off, a bit like Queen Dovasary, the half-raka queen.

"Yes, It comes from years of practice," Marja replied icily her knife still poised in her hand.

"I would hate to be that man," The man said gesturing vaguely towards Marja's practice dummy.

"Yes, I shall have to replace him soon I fear," Marja's knife I loosed would land in the man's throat, and it seemed the man knew this.

"I suppose I should not have snuck up on my nest-mate's nestling, he has said that she is tricky, like the God," The man was clam, but obviously not long in human form, his feet were placed strangely, and he seemed unsure about how to place his arms.

"My father's year mate?" Marja repeated a little incredulously. But she tucked the knife into her sash and went to retrieve the knives from the dummy. When she turned again the man was gone. And Marja cursed crows for being sneaky (discluding herself of course).

Marja was dressed in a brand new overly layered outfit, which was modeled (at least a little bit) after a Yamani kimono. It had the wide sleeves and the sash like a kimono, but it was a green dress, with a pale yellow piece which started just below the chest and flared out, leaving Marja's legs almost improperly uncovered. It went with pale yellow sleeves which attached to the sleeveless dress. Then there was a thick silver collar like necklace, and several thinner ones which draped off the thick necklace. She wore her hair in a traditional Yamani double domed style. She wore five rings on each hand, and thin bangling sliver bracelets clinked against each other on both her wrists. A single knotted piece of string with silver beads served her for an anklet.

She had dressed herself up for the party tonight It was to celebrate someone's birthday, although Marja wasn't sure who. But whose ever birthday it was deserved the proper respect of Marja wearing one of her newest outfits. Marja went down to the library where the party was held. Only the people who were of great importance at court were invited, which meant all the foreign ambassadors were invited, which of course explained Marja's presence.

The room was filled with light, and music, and because the room was rather cozy, it made the room warm with the heat of people's bodies pressed together. This emotion and closeness was not normally found in court functions, and so made Marja nervous.

"Marja, thank you for attending the party for Princess Kanayoko. She is very grateful or your presence," Leeza said calmly greeting her friend in the dead voice of the Yamanis. Leeza was wearing a very simple yukata, and looked very cute with parts of her hair pulled back.

"I thank the Princess for the gracious invitation," Marja answered ceremoniously. It was going to be a very long night…

"Marja, I assumed you would be having fun," Irnai said sitting down next to Marja on the bench positioned so that Marja could see every single guard and guest in the room, without straining herself.

"I am uncomfortable in social settings," Marja's voice was as dead as any of the Yamani.

"But you are attentive as usual I've seen you in this party, you are discussing something seriously with a young man. He looked perhaps twenty, maybe a little older," Irnai said seriously as she motioned for one of the servants to bring her a glass of the sweet fruit juice going around. Wine and spirits would be served with dinner, and after dinner.

"I'm sure you did, but the last time I tried to discuss something seriously with a young man I ended up screaming back and forth and surrounding us both by a very powerful shield which would have taken Master Numair to destroy. I prefer to avoid people, rather than talk to them," Marja said watching the princess whose birthday they were celebrating. She was the heir's wife, and she had a girl a few years younger than Marja, her son was even younger.

"Yes, I was told of that incident. But you need to speak with this man; he seems to have a message for you…" Irnai said standing up and drifting off with the doll dangling loosely from one hand and the glass of juice clasped lightly in the other.

"What was Irnai speaking of?" Leeza asked drifting over to speak with Marja.

"Apparently there's young man here who I'm supposed to speak with tonight," Marja told her brushing a strand of hair from her face. Normally she would have allowed her Gift to pick it up and place it where it belonged, but she was heeding Irnai's warning.

"Well…If you want I can gather the young men from all over the party. I know several of them are interested in the young Tortallan woman," Leeza offered her eyes crinkling in a Yamani smile.

"It's alright. You go and attract some of those men or yourself, I don't really need them much," Marja told her with little shooing motions of her hands.

"If you insist," Leeza said and stood up to leave. But as she was walking away she whispered in one man's ear as she made her way to a group of noblewomen her own age.

Marja let a little smile creep onto her face before squashing it as the man made his way towards her. Another strand of hair fell in Marja's face and without thinking she allowed a small strand of her Gift to place it back where it should be. The man paused for a moment, showing as much shock in that pause as if someone from any other land had gasped and fainted.

Marja was internally running through every curse word she knew as the man paused in front of her and gave a little bow. He had black hair, which was worn a little long for a man from any land. His skin was extremely pale, but it looked fine with the mild colors he dressed himself in, if he had worn darker colors his skin would have looked ghostly, and if the colors were much lighter he would look washed out.

"Hello, my name is Kei. It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Marjorie," Marja almost flinched at being called 'lady' again.

"It is a pleasure to meet you sir. But please, I'm no lady. Call me Marja," Marja's voice was perfectly emotionless, and her face still. But she knew some of her agitation must have reached Kei anyway.

"Of course…Marja," The pause was definitely noticed, but Marja didn't comment on it, "I heard you come from the Copper Isles."

"Yes, my mother comes from Tortall, but she's been living in the Copper Isles since she was my age. And my father is a native Kyprin."

"I see. Then is the rumor true?" Kei asked leaning forward a little.

"What rumor?" Marja asked, afraid she already knew what the rumor would be.

"That you're related to the Lioness,"


End file.
